Getting pregnant is all about timing. For those who are new to trying, you may believe that conceiving comes down to luck, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fertile window for a woman is actually only 5 days per month, maximum.

Pregnancy is technically only possible during the five days before ovulation through to the day of ovulation. These six days are the ‘fertile window’ in a woman’s cycle, and reflect the lifespan of sperm (5 days) and the lifespan of the ovum (24 hours). If you’re trying to conceive, you’ll want to make sure the conditions are right for egg and sperm to meet. The best indicator, in addition to fertility ELISA kits, is a woman’s menstrual cycle, which can give clues about when your body is ready to start the process.

If a woman has sex six or more days before she ovulates, the chance she will get pregnant is virtually zero. If she has sex five days before she ovulates, her probability of pregnancy is about 10%. The probability of pregnancy rises steadily until the two days before and including the day of ovulation.

At the end of the ‘fertile window’, the probability of pregnancy declines rapidly and by 12-24 hours after ovulation, a woman is no longer able to get pregnant during that cycle. However, with the help of fertility ELISA kits to track your ovulation cycle, the likelihood of actually becoming pregnant is dramatically increased if you have intercourse in the three days leading up to and including ovulation. If a woman has sex on any of these three days, she has a 27-33% chance of becoming pregnant.